MOT Fail, HELP!!! Testers & Mechanics Advice Needed!

[Ad172UK]

Had the car MOT'd today and as usual with french cars, it hasn't passed.

I was expecting a fail on the O/S Balljoint as i knew this was on it's way out but haven't been able to get a new one over christmas.

But it's also failed on:

* Parking brake lever, pawl mechanism pivots or their associated mountings are insecure

and

*Front brakes imbalanced 37%

I've checked the actual handbrake lever and tightened up the 2 mounting bolts are the base of the mechanism but it still moves side to side a little, is this normal?

With front brakes i've not long changed discs, pads and hoses so it can't be pads or discs. Any suggestions? I'm thinking it may be air in one of the hoses causing the imbalance or maybe i need to dismantle the calipers and grease the sliders etc.

It's going in for a Free No-Obligation quote on work tomorrow but i just wanted you guy's opinions.

 

[Henry]

i think a little side-to-side movement in the handbrake lever's normal. if you've needed to tighten the mountings, hopefully that's it

assuming you bled the brakes properly (it should have been noticeable if you hadn't), i'd say the front brake imbalance will be due to a caliper, and there are a few things you can try in an attempt to sort that without replacing it

 

[Ad172UK]

Anythin in particular to try with the front calipers mate?

I'm hoping it'll pass with a brake bleed but if not i'm gonna try coppergreasing the slide pins.

Anythin else i should try?

 

[Alastair.]

ive seen some clio handbrake lever mountings rotton out, check that.

Front brakes, do the usual clean up, and regrease, i expect its a seized slider.

 

[Ad172UK]

ive seen some clio handbrake lever mountings rotton out, check that.

Front brakes, do the usual clean up, and regrease, i expect its a seized slider.

The threads that come out of the trans tunnel that holds the handbrake lever assembly onto the body? If so i've checked then visually and tightened the nuts back down and it's improved but still moves around 1cm each way when the handbrakes up and about half that when down.

With the brakes it's not really noticable when driving so hopefully it's nothing too serious or expensive.

 

[lemonnobby]

yea the handbrake should be fine now. the brakes should be a clean up and relubricate.

 

[Ad172UK]

Apparently i need new discs and pads. £200

Funny really as i've not so long ago fitted brand new brembo max grooved and mintex 1144 pads along with braided hoses, and all of that only just came over £200.

I've been and got a ball joint so i'll fit that saturday.

Lemonnobby1, which bits shall i lubricate? I'm considering stripping everything back inc taking the discs off the hubs and putting it all back on. I'm greasing the sliders with copper grease but should i grease the piston with anything? None of the seals on the pistons have perished so i can't see them needing it but if it might help solve it i'll do so.

 

[Fred@BTM]

strip, clean and re grease the slider pins (the bits the 13mm bolts go into, they just pull out)

re bleed the brakes too

 

[Ad172UK]

Cheers fred.

Someones also suggested that it could be the balljoint also putting them out of balance, what do you reckon??

Gives me something to do on saturday and sunday!

 

[DannoTheGreat]

never heard of a ball joint makin the drake imbalance

 

[bmh.01]

never heard of a ball joint makin the drake imbalance

And you haven't heard of it now either.

 

[Ad172UK]

Thats out the window then - lol

Any ideas on the handbrake lads? Do yours move side to side a bit or are they pretty still?

I've tightened the only bolts i can see that may be holding it down, unless it's the pin that it pivots on that has come loose. Can't see how to remove or tighten that though!

Thanks for all of the help so far!

 

[SBV116]

never heard of a ball joint makin the drake imbalance

What have ducks got to do with it?!:rasp:

 

[lemonnobby]

try do move 1cm ish they are crap if you ask me. as fred said grease the sliders where the 13mm bolts go in to also make sure the caliper bit that touches the pad is clean